Shostakovich, Kodály, Tchaikovsky: Works for Cello and Piano

Shostakovich, Kodály, Tchaikovsky: Works for Cello and Piano is a new album featuring Michael Kevin Jones (Violoncello) and Ean Mei Yeoh (Piano) from HD Remastered. This is the 7th album available at NativeDSD from Michael Kevin Jones.  The recording was made at the Royal College of Music recital hall during a live recital.

The program includes the rarely heard Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967), duo Sonata op.4 in two movements. This sonata was inspired by folk melodies collected by Kodály although its harmonic treat- ment and development show the strong influence of impressionism. Originally conceived as a conventional Sonata in three movements, Kodály withheld the first movement due to his dissatisfaction with it and the sonata was published as a movement work.

The introductory solo cello of the Fantasía-Allegro di molto, leads to a clear folk like development in fourths characteristic of Hungarian popular music. The movement enjoys a general rhapsodic feeling with frequent virtuosic complex free rhythmic ́cymbalistic  style interjections from the piano. Kodály employs a sophisticated notated system of rubato creating the illusion of improvised folk rhythms.

Although Kodály said he was inspired by Beethoven while writing the last movement of this sonata, there is a strong influence of Hungarian folk music patterns. This is an exuberant and fiery finale although Kodály clearly foresaw the structural symmetrical balance needed and added a haunting coda recapitulation of the second movement theme with intense harmonic piano chords bringing the sonata to a surprising and magical ending.

Michael Kevin Jones, Violoncello
Ean Mei Yeoh, Piano